December 30, 2010 1.57 pm This story is over 158 months old

New clinic for pupils with reading problems

Read up: A new clinic at the Lincoln County Hospital will help children with reading previously unidentified reading problems.

School-age children are being targeted by a new hospital clinic aimed at improving reading skills and confidence.

The new Visual Stress Clinics, run every week at Lincoln County Hospital, aim to help children with previously unidentifiable challenges with reading.

At the clinics, held in the Orthoptic Department, patients have their structural, functional and perceptual vision assessed and treatment is offered as necessary.

Head Orthoptist Pam King said the new clinics were set up because they saw children with reading difficulties, not always explained by eyesight problems alone.

“This clinic was set up for children who are having reading difficulties at school and is run by an orthoptist who specialises in reading difficulties,” she said.

“Our specialist orthoptist Elizabeth Clarke (pictured with patient Sophie Richardson, aged 7) can do all of the testing required at the clinic, in one place, and can then communicate with the child’s school advising them of things they can try with the child to improve their reading.

“So far this has been a great success, as in just a few visits we have seen children gaining much more confidence in reading and getting on better with their school work as a result.”

Appointments are structured to ensure that school-age patients miss as little school time as possible and most patients report an improvement after the first session.

This has reflected in a noticeable improvement for the patients in school work and other areas such as general confidence and behaviour.

Source: NHS Lincolnshire